


Infringement

by StudioFortyTwo



Series: Infected Series [2]
Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M, Gen, Luthor-Verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-10 22:34:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StudioFortyTwo/pseuds/StudioFortyTwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  My take on Clark Luthor's descent into darkness. This story focuses on his relationship with Chloe Sullivan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

[ ](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiKefQTgXQk/UYwZ_vvKd7I/AAAAAAAAAFM/iqUCNRTgwzI/s1600/over.jpg)

  
**Title:**    Infected

**Rating:**    T

**Author:**    SilverSnikle

**Character:**    Clark

**Timeline:**   Around 6 months afer Clark Luthor's Seventeenth Birthday

**Warnings:**   Luthor-verse

**Disclaimer:**   Borrowed characters and some dialogue... No affiliation to CW/WB, DC

**Summary:** My take on Clark Luthor's descent into darkness. This story focuses on his relationship with Chloe Sullivan.

  
_______________________________

Her skirt was too short, her top was cut too low, her heels were too high, her make-up was gaudy. Yet, she held her head high and kept her eyes level. She'd heard rumors for weeks and there was only one way to verify a source; see it with your own eyes. And that was exactly what she planned to do.

She shivered as the cool night breeze passed over her almost bare shoulders and back. Half a block to go before she would reach her destination, and if she were honest, that shiver might have had something more to do with her intentions than the actual temperature of the air. Okay, that was not true, her intentions were pure enough; it was her fantasies that made her shiver.

Her excessive make-up and scandalous outfit worked, allowing her the access she needed. She stopped at the first bar she came to, leaning against its glass top to give her feet a slight reprieve. Her cousin had the fancy taste in accessories, which came in handy for these types of situations, but she would never get used to dressing this way.

"What can I get for you?" She inclined her head toward the voice to see a young bartender smiling back at her.

"I'm fine, thanks." He shrugged, still smiling, and turned to help another patron.

Lois and Oliver had been to this club every Friday and Saturday night for the past month. Tonight, he'd whisked her away to Star City for the weekend. The idea of a weekend trip away with just a guy made Chloe blush. She'd spent too much of her time chasing stories to chase many boys.

"I'll take a double shot of Ketel One, and a glass of champagne for the lady."

Chloe didn't dare turn her head; she couldn't even shift her eyes. That voice was unmistakable. She heard that voice almost every night in her dreams, the ones before she actually fell asleep. It was deep, and level, and held a power about it like no other voice she'd ever heard. Suddenly she wanted to know if he ever sang, visions of him with slicked back hair throwing around an old metal microphone danced in her head; something told her if he did it would break her heart.

A finger gently slipped under her chin, pulling her face up, her eyes following. She smiled, knowing it didn't reach her eyes. She was mortified, although why, she wasn't sure. There was no way for him to know her intentions. But again, it was her fantasies that were embarrassing.

He offered her the glass of bubbly gold liquid left by the same young bartender from earlier and she accepted.

"Thank you." She lifted the glass to her lips and welcomed the burn that ran down her throat. She focused on the intensity of the carbonation sliding downward toward her stomach. Feeling that physical heat helped to keep her mind clear. If he was planning on standing this close to her for long, she was going to need many more glasses of courage.

He settled onto the stool next to where she was still leaning on the glass top of the bar and cocked his head to the side. Chloe tried to decide if she should follow suit and bounce up onto the stool behind her, but then a hand was on her waist, pulling her. His thighs were spread, hers pressed up against them. He was wearing that famous smile, the one plastered all over the papers and magazines. She didn't like it. She'd once seen his real smile, and she knew she'd do most anything to see it again. A shudder ran through her, and she bit her lip. Damned fantasies.

"Damned air conditioner." Her words were barely even a mumble.

"You just need to move around," He seemed to think about it, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "Or drink more. I suggest a merger of the two." And then he smiled, the real one that twisted her gut. She had to force her legs to keep standing.

"I think it's very interesting, you seemed only too happy to let your siblings front the party life for the family. Until recently. Care to share?" She pushed out her chin and raised an eyebrow, waiting. He obviously remembered her from his party. He had to remember that she worked at the Daily Planet, that she was a reporter just looking for a headline. Part of her worried he'd glare at her, push her away, and leave her there alone. But then, somewhere deep inside, the idea of him man-handling her was all too enticing.

"Guess I finally realized I was missing out." His lips shifted back into their practiced smile, and he broke eye-contact, scanning the crowd. He was slipping away, back to his rehearsed show. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

"Seems you've turned into quite the ladies’ man." Her heart twisted at her own words. He was not hers, there was no reason for her pain. Still, she ached at the thought of him pleasing himself with the help of some random woman. And that's what it would be. Pleasing himself. She didn't deny the truth that he didn't care about pleasing anyone else. He was a Luthor. Selfish.

"Sounds like you're here on business." He ordered another shot and with his head still turned toward the bartender, he let his eyes focus on her. His eyes were smiling, whether his lips wanted to be honest or not. "Don't you ever party for real? Or do you have to have an excuse to talk yourself into looking sexy and showing off your true talents?"

Her jaw dropped, and her eyes were so wide she momentarily worried they might just pop out into her champagne flute. And then she recovered, as quickly as if nothing had changed. She knew he'd seen it though, her honest reaction. She didn't appreciate the comment. She knew she was very talented. How many seventeen year olds do you know who graduate high school early and get an internship at the number one newspaper in the country? Something told her his word choice was meant to get a reaction. She thought about correcting him, letting him know that the word he was looking for was most likely 'assets', but decided against it. She didn't exactly want to end this, whatever it was.

"I'm a busy girl." She turned abruptly, setting her glass on the bar and leaning into the glass top again for support. Selfish. It was also what she was being now. In all honesty, it was the sole reason she was here. A chance to live out even a fraction of one of those many fantasies.

"Girl huh? Could've fooled me." He leaned forward, his solid chest pressing against her arm, his lips inches from her ear. His words made her flesh burn. It had been a compliment, whether he had meant it that way or not, that was how she was choosing to see it. "Finish that drink, and I'll show you what you've missed since our last meeting."

...

Somewhere between buying her a drink, and attempting to insult her Clark realized there was something alluring about Lois's cousin. She had caught his attention at the birthday party, even if his interacting with her had been more to upset his father. There had been something about her that pulled him in. So much so that he had gone after her wearing the red kryptonite ring. That was all before her cousin had made a grand entrance onto the balcony and into his life.

After the tall, beauty had dragged her cousin away from him, she had been all he could think about. Lois Lane was the sole object of his desire. He had spent the better part of his free time devising a plan to win her affections.

Upon first spotting the blonde cousin at the bar, Clark had moved toward her in hopes to find Lois. He had taken a closer look at Chloe's appearance and realized that she was on a mission. He was a very perceptive person. It didn't take him any longer than than downing his shot to realize why she was there. He had made certain that Lois had watched him leaving the clubs with countless blondes. The plan was to make her jealous. She had taken his actions to mean something different.

So while conversing with Chloe after buying her a drink, Clark thought maybe a new plan should me implemented. What would make a girl more jealous than sleeping with her roommate/cousin/best friend? By the looks of her, Chloe wasn't going to argue. He had been about to kiss her on that balcony, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to get that kiss, and more.

He watched her swallow the last drops of her champagne and grabbed her small hand. He was careful not to walk to fast, mindful of her insanely high heels. He wanted her to be on her feet for a long time, twisting her ankle wouldn't help further his purpose.

...

Chloe was dizzy, her legs jelly, her feet pounding for release. She excused herself to the ladies’ room, and he walked her to the door. Something told her he was standing right outside it, waiting. The thought both terrified and intrigued her. He hadn't been more than a few feet away from her since he'd come to her at the bar.

She pulled up the short skirt and sank onto the cool porcelain, thankful to be off her feet. Lois's shoes were gorgeous, and they'd done wonders for Chloe's slightly shorter legs, but damn they hurt! She sighed as she slipped her heels out and let the pumps dangle on her toes. She stayed that way for what had to have been a full five minutes. Her mind was numb as her body raged, angry at the abuse she'd pushed it through on the dance floor.

"You okay, Blondie?" She rolled her eyes as his voice broke into her daze. Of course he didn't understand personal space. She exhaled and attempted to slip her feet back into the heels.

"Trying to figure out which of these perfumes I should use, that's all." Taking off the shoes had proven a bad idea, it seemed her feet had swollen and now the shoes were a full size too small. She winced as she stepped gingerly toward the row of sinks to wash her hands, cursing the blisters that were already swelling up, and the ones she knew where yet to come.

"Please don't. I like your citrus body wash just fine." She stopped applying her lip gloss, the stick still pressed to the center of her lips. How could he pick up on her body wash in a place full of awful smells like this? She shook her head and finished her task, tossing the tube back into her clutch. Maybe he'd noticed it the first time they met and assumed she was still using the same one. That required her to believe that not only had he paid that much attention to her on their first meeting, but that he had cared enough to remember it. She rolled her eyes at herself. Not possible.

He was leaning back against the wall, next to the door, when she exited, and he pulled her to him. Her breath left her lungs and she forgot to refill them for a few moments.

"I wondered if you'd show up again." He lightly ran a finger down her face and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't dare let herself indulge the idea that he was talking about what she hoped he was. "I'm glad you did."

For a moment Chloe wondered if he'd expected her to use the bathroom as an escape. But really, she knew better. If he was in fact referring to her coming out to find him, he had a point; she'd had no plans to find him, initially. Not until Lois had come home tipsy one night, blabbing about the younger Luthor boy's dramatic change. That had piqued Chloe's interest. The girl did have a tendency to see his smile when she closed her eyes at night.

"And the weird part?" ‘Cause for Lois to be telling a story there had to be a 'weird part,' "he only arrives, dances, or leaves with blondes. And not just any blondes, golden blondes." She paused there, plopping onto the couch and beginning an attempt at taking off her strappy heals. "Like you! Mostly short hair; the longest I personally have seen was just past the girl's shoulders.” Lois dropped her shoes to the floor and her head back against the couch staring pointedly at Chloe.

Chloe let herself be dragged back toward the dance floor, even though she was pretty sure her feet were literally bleeding by now. It was a soft, sensual song. So far any time a slower song had been played he'd dragged them to the bar for another drink. Now he seemed in a hurry to get back on the floor. Finally stopping, he pulled her close, pressing their bodies together from shoulders to knees. Well, from her shoulders to his knees. He was so doggone tall, even with her in Lois's heels.

His breath tickled her ear as he whispered against her hair. "I know you are not used to those shoes. Why are you torturing yourself still?" He was swaying her gently in time with the music, her cheek pressed against his firm chest.

She smacked playfully at him, and smiled. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not going to stick around here much longer." Chloe reflexively tightened her arms around his neck. She was nowhere near ready for this night to end. If it meant blisters and bruises on her feet, so be it.

"But I was just starting to really enjoy myself." She pulled her cheek off his chest just long enough to give him her perfectly practiced pout. She didn't miss the small change in his eyes before he blinked them back to normal. She was getting good at that.

"I never said anything about ending your fun." He let out a short laugh and his chest rumbled slightly.

"Don't think you'll be too easy to replace." Her words were mumbled, but he evidently picked up on them just fine.

"Who said anything about having to replace me? I was hoping you might be ready to go as well?" The song came to a finish, but he made no move to change their position. His request was as obvious to her as red ink on a first draft.

Chloe simply nodded against him, smiling. She had no idea where this night might lead, but she was sure going to find out. She was freshman in college at seventeen, and already interning for the Planet. She was way mature for her age! She could handle a Friday night out on the town in Metropolis with Clark Luthor.

…

As he walked through the crowds, Chloe's hand in his, Clark focused on the task at hand. He was only doing this for the results it should produce. The lightness that seemed to swell in his chest had to be from thoughts of what was to come later, pun intended. Taking girls back to his loft was nothing unusual. He left the clubs with a different girl almost ever night. This was no different. Except for the fact that Chloe was his ticket to getting Lois's attention, she meant nothing.

He forced a smile on his face, ignoring the way his stomach twisted at that last thought. Now was not the time for him to waver in his devotion. He would not let his random human emotions get in the way of his prize. Chloe would serve her purpose and then be out of his life.

Her fingers tightened around his and he glanced over at her. Her chin was level, her eyes focused ahead as they stepped out into the night. He could tell already that she was a strong woman. She was independent and proud. He let the knowledge that she had come looking for him with her own selfish intentions quell his slight unease.

\--------------------

  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for how late this is! Sometimes, real life just likes to come up from behind and knock us out for a while. And that's what happened. But, I'm working my way back. And here is the next chapter! So sorry for the huge interruption.

Chloe sat on the soft leather sofa with her feet curled up under her, the short skirt not quite reaching mid-thigh. The same question flashed through her mind on repeat. What was she doing here? Granted, this _is_ where she had wanted to end up; at least a very small part had intended that. Oh, who was she kidding? Why else would she have hi-jacked Lois's closet and sneaked into a club? But she was fast realizing that fantasizing about a situation and having that fantasy become a reality were two very different concepts. The process of meeting him at the club, dancing endlessly, and then rushing off back to his place had all happened so quickly that she hadn't had time to think. Now that she did, she had no idea what she was doing.  
  
Clark walked back into the room holding two glasses and offered Chloe one as he sat, the far side of the couch succumbing to his weight. She took the drink and stared silently at the clear liquid it held. Internally she argued that she should drink, if only to loosen up a little. Something about this tall, dark haired god stiffened her muscles. Then there was the fact that she could barely think, let alone make coherent conversation. Chloe was a woman of action, she was a pro at improvisation. The feeling of insecurity was foreign. But she'd had a few drinks back at the club, and though she was no longer feeling the effects of those, she still hesitated.  
  
"It's just water." He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but wish it were just a tad more challenging. Water? Really? She had thought him to be the epitome of a particular Brittany Spears song. He was certainly doing a number on her assumptions that he fit the bill of womanizer. Then again, did she really want him treating her the way she had expected; like just another floozy? Or even trying to play her into thinking she was different? She took a sip from her glass, and sure enough- "I do have something a little more, adventurous." The lilt in his voice made her heart flutter. He was smoothly slipping into the character that she had been expecting.  
  
"No. Water is great." With his settling in to his role, she made a last minute decision. If anything were to happen tonight, she wanted it to be on her terms. Besides, she really wanted to remember every detail. Since the few drinks she'd had back at the club were wearing off, water was good. Water was perfect.

...

  
Clark sat his glass on the coffee table and twisted around to face Chloe. There was no repudiating that she was certainly something to be desired. He let the corner of his lips rise as his eyes slid over her. Yes, definitely agreeable to the eyes, and other parts of his anatomy. He couldn’t stop himself from entertaining thoughts of her in his large bed, not that he would deprive himself of such creative visions. Neither would he attempt to deprive himself of assuaging those curiosities.

 He'd wanted something to happen when he had begun frequenting Oliver's favorite club, but this was far better than anything he himself could have planned. Taking home blondes night after night in front of Lois had apparently not made her jealous. She was apparently a bit slower than he had initially given her credit for. He had, after all, stared her down as he exited with each girl wrapped around him. Lois had, however, noticed. Though she had misinterpreted his actions, she had sent him the one opportunity - or girl, that was sure to manifest jealousy.

  
"Let's not play games." He leaned forward, artfully placing a large hand next to her shoulder on the back of the couch. With his head tilted forward, their faces inches apart, he opened his mouth to continue speaking. He found his words were cut off by Chloe's lips pressed against his. They were soft, warm, and inviting.

 He quickly recovered from the initial shock and kissed her back, smiling against her. She seemed to know what she wanted, and wasn't in the mood for games either. Who was he to argue or deny her anything? Especially if he wanted the same things. He mentally reminded himself to thank Lois later for sending him Chloe. The kissing alone was well worth the long con.

  
Clark was used to being the aggressor. Most girls, though most would never openly admit it, loved being dominated. If he were honest, which he rarely was (even with himself), he didn't mind being pushed around so much either. So when Chloe pushed at his shoulders and climbed into his lap, he simply let himself fall back and held on to her hips. She sent a chill through him, running her hands down his still clothed chest, letting them rest on his abs. He naturally slid a hand up and around the back of her shoulder to pull her closer. Just before letting go of coherent thoughts he decided maybe a gift basket would be a better 'thank you' to Lois than simply voicing the words.

...

  
Chloe was not innocent; she really wasn't. She'd had her handful of interested guys throughout the years. Once, when she'd first gotten the internship at The Planet, she'd met the sweetest boy, Jimmy. After a work party one night they'd gotten a little physical, and when things had started to escalate, she had let them. Thanks to that experience, she knew 'sweet' wasn't exactly what she was wanting.  
  
Part of her was surprised and more than a little disappointed that Clark wasn't being more aggressive. Though, he seemed plenty excited, so she figured she was doing fine. It wasn't as if he were just laying back, letting her do all the work. He was just letting her lead. She wondered if he just played the tough guy role in public. She realized his submission was only serving to turn her on more. She was reminded of how different he'd been during their initial meeting.  
  
He had seemed almost sweet, and Chloe had honestly been shocked by his demeanor. He hadn't treated her with disdain as she had expected. He'd tried to make her more comfortable. Then later in the night he had grabbed her and dragged her out onto the balcony, a small cake in his free hand. He was almost a different person on the balcony. There had been nothing sweet about the way he'd stared at her lips when he had fed her a bite of that cake. Lois showing up at that moment had been pure torture. Chloe was certain he'd been about to kiss her, and now she knew exactly what she'd missed out on. She needed to tell Lois all was forgiven for her initial bad timing.  
  
Chloe had tried to forget about that 'almost' experience, knowing for certain he had, and focus on school and her articles. But she had started to feel lonely, for the first time in ... ever. When it became a possibility that maybe he hadn't forgotten, that he was focusing his attention on only blondes at the clubs, she'd relented. So far, that had been the best decision of her life.

...

  
As Clark hefted the jaunty blonde onto his hips and carried her down the hall to his room, he was having trouble remembering why he liked a certain brunette so much. Of course, he'd had quite a few blondes (and brunettes) in his bed recently, but this one was something else. She stirred something inside him that both terrified and intrigued him. He decided it had to be a shared family trait and stopped attempting to think clearly. By the time he had laid her gently back onto his comforter and stretched out over her, Clark was no longer concerned with anything outside of the disposal of all clothing.

 ...

  
Chloe pulled the sheet tight, tucking it under her chin and snuggling into the warmth behind her. Her eyes shot open, and she lifted her head to look around the unfamiliar room. As a large arm encircled her waist and pulled her tight against a hard warmth, she relaxed, her memory flooding with the previous night.  
  
After they, herself in particular, were worn out she had fully expect Clark to make some tepid excuse and push her unceremoniously out his front door. Instead, he'd dragged her into his shower and then back to his bed. Falling asleep must have happened immediately, because she couldn't remember lying there. She smiled when Clark pressed his face into her hair and mumbled incoherently.  
  
This was a first. Waking up in a strange bed with a man, both of them naked, wasn't something Chloe had any experience in. His even, steady breaths in her hair let her know he was still soundly sleeping. His muscles quivered as he tightened his arm around her again. She decided to snuggle further into his hold and let herself drift back to sleep; it was Saturday after all. And she was still tired. She could worry about it all later.

 ...

  
Clark could smell vanilla, and citrus. He smiled and wrapped a leg around the small warm body in his arms. And then he stiffened. Waking up to warm bodies, other than his own, in his bed after sun up was not something he let happen. He slid his eyes open and studied the mess of golden curls on his pillow. He rolled his eyes at himself and gently removed his limbs from her body. He didn't want to wake her yet. He needed to think.  
  
Outside his room he shut the door gently and made his way down the hall to his guest bath, thankful again that his father had supplied him his own loft for school. After relieving himself, he rested on the arm of his couch for a moment to gather his thoughts. Lately, he lived life like a game of chess, always planning his next three moves. This wasn't exactly an exception. Life had simply done something he had not anticipated. The end-game remained the same: attain Lois's affections. Either convince her Oliver was not the man for her, or make them both suffer. Chloe was the perfect pawn. He decidedly ignored the pang of guilt that sliced through his abdomen; he could not afford emotion. This was strategy, nothing else. It was nothing personal against the angelic body he had defiled.  
  
He did not care about this - Chloe; he would not allow himself to care about her, he could not. Distractions were also something he could not afford. Therefore, the decision to run down the street to his favorite bakery for coffee and bagels to serve her in bed was _not_ impulsive. No matter what fleeting, obscure predilection he may have been experiencing, his actions were simply to reassure the illusion.

 He used his inhuman speed to quickly acquire bagels and two coffees. Not knowing how she would prefer her coffee, he also filled a bag with flavored creamers and sugar while he let himself ponder over this woman. There was certainly an attraction between himself and Chloe, that fact could not be denied. His desire to be near her, to touch her surprised even himself. In the past, girls he brought home were tossed out once he felt fulfilled. Last night, in a moment of contentment, he had not given her the option to leave.

 The memory of running water, their bodies pressed together, and her mouth against his made his pulse quicken. Clark tried to remember the last time he had flashed back to being with a partner after the fact. All he could come up with was more of last night. It was as if their union had erased his memory of every other encounter. That obviously wasn't actually the case. If he focused he could remember pressing up against a bright blue-eyed blonde in his hallway last weekend. But as he pushed to remember more details, her face would blur into that of the woman still softly snoring in his bed. He wasn't even aware of the ridiculous smile plastered on his face until a barista sweeping off the patio commented that he must have had a good night. The young man winked at Clark and Clark simply tipped his head with a laugh.

Back in his kitchen, he arranged it all on a tray, previously part of the decor, and walked carefully back down his hallway. If he wanted this new plan to work, he needed Chloe to believe he had fallen for her, and hard. He had not - of course - and would not. He definitely wasn't smiling a _genuine_ smile as he pushed the bedroom door open with his shoulder and saw her eyes still closed, her breaths even. He could not afford sincerity, it was all a show.

Even when he sat the tray on the bedside table, sitting carefully on his bed next to her, and reached out to move back a blonde ringlet from her face, it was not impromptu nor admiration- no. It was a simply a calculated move. And that tight feeling in his chest, well, he'd heard his father complain of heartburn, maybe Kryptonians could get a version of that.

 She moved, pressing her cheek into the palm of his hand, and he pulled away. It was time to wake her. With a gentle hand on her shoulder he shook her carefully. She made an attempt to roll over away from him, but he held her.

 “Morning, Sleepy.” His voice was quiet, and deep, but her eyes fluttered open. She smiled up at him, almost shyly, and closed her eyes again. “I brought you bagels, and coffee.”

 At the mention of coffee she opened her eyes again, this time wide, and her smile brightened. Clark's lips didn't turn up at the corners as a response to her electric smile, but he couldn't deny the feeling of pride at causing said smile. He helped her into a sitting position before handing her the coffee and accompanying bag of randomness.

 “I wasn't sure how you like yours, so I grabbed a bit of everything.” He grabbed the tray and placed it between them. Distance was a good thing.

 ... 

“You didn't have to do all this. I could have grabbed something on my way home.” She immediately regretted that last sentence. She made it sound as if she _wanted_ to go home, even preferred it. Here he'd done the absolute sweetest thing possible, and she'd acted as if she'd wanted none of it. “I mean, I'm sure you have plans for the day. I wouldn't want to get in your way.” She blinked and stared into the darkness of her coffee. She blamed her idiocy on the lack of caffeine in her system. She typically excelled in all things lingual.

 “Actually. I don't have anything specific planned today.” She watched as he spread cream cheese onto half of his cinnamon bagel and took a bite. His mouth was mesmerizing as he chewed. Her eyes dropped lower as he swallowed. His voice brought her eyes back up to meet his. “I usually keep my schedules pretty open on Saturdays. You?”

 Chloe looked back down at her coffee; this whole situation was simply surreal. She had heard all the stories about Clark Luthor in the gossip magazines and through supposed first-hand experiences. None of them had mentioned anything about breakfast in bed, or chit-chat, or even sleeping over. She felt herself frown at her answer. “Yeah, I guess my Saturdays are pretty boring.” 'Boring' was an understatement, and it sounded ridiculously lame. Shouldn't she be trying to present herself as something desirable? Instead, so far she had insulted him and admitted to being a bore.

 “I have a few ideas for how we could spend the day, if you want to hear them.” She picked up the other bagel as he spoke and used his knife to gather some cream cheese. She nodded when he didn't immediately continue. “We could watch old movies, I have unlimited access to all movie channels. We could have an encore of last night's performance.” He raised an eyebrow, complete with the lascivious look she'd craved the night before. She smiled and took a bite to keep from laughing like a hyena, she didn't think that would come off as attractive. Her nerves were fried, she hoped the carbs would help calm them down. “I could take you somewhere for the day. Anywhere in a - say, two hour flight radius?” 

Chloe swallowed the bite she'd been chewing and thought about all this. Her response shocked her. “Why?” Well, that wasn't exactly what she had planned to say. She tried again. “I mean, why are you being so- I'm not even sure what word to use here.” So much for fixing it. She decided against speaking anymore.

 “Romantic? Sweet? Caring? Charming?” He took a sip of his coffee and placed it back on the bedside table. “I guess you haven't heard about me being those things.” She nodded, mentally rolling her eyes at herself. Why did she have to question everything? The journalist inside her needed to learn when to hide in the shadows. Why couldn't she just choose one of his crazily wonderful plans for the day and get on with it? He started to speak again and she stopped the mental monologue.“Well, it's true I don't usually.” He paused for a breath, “Care, that is.” He shrugged and she spat her last sip of coffee out over the bed with a choked laugh.

 “I'm so sorry.” Her eyes were frantic and she grabbed for the napkins to blot up the mess. For some reason his blunt admission had hit her as absolutely hilarious. She desperately needed to get that coffee into her system and finish her bagel. She needed to be able to think clearly. Was that his game? Admit to being a pompous ass? Or was something making him feel at ease enough to speak openly? Either way, if she kept this up he'd be pushing her out the front door in record time. He would be done with her and her insanity. 

She took a risk and glanced over at him, as she blotted at the coffee. His eyes were wide, his bagel almost touching his parted lips, frozen. He shook his head, blinked, and suddenly they both erupted into rolling laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

The spotlight from a helicopter above passed in front of him on the roof. Clark slipped behind an air conditioning unit and waited for it to move on. The noise was bad enough, but the wind it created sent long locks into his eyes. Aggravation was not something he handled well.

If someone were to ask him why he was jumping rooftops late at night instead of lying in the comfort of his bed watching TV, he wasn't sure he could answer them. He wasn't quite sure he knew the answer himself. In fact, last week he'd been perfectly content to sit at home and waste time channel surfing. He wasn't sure what had changed.

He knew that wasn't exactly true. He did know what had changed, technically. He had gone out to the club last weekend and ended up taking home a girl. Though that itself wasn't anything new, it turned out this girl wasn't just another nameless face. She was the cousin and roommate of the girl he desired most. Obviously, he was well aware of that fact when he walked up to her, initially hoping she wasn't alone. Upon realizing exactly why she was there, and alone, he did the most logical thing he could and decided to take her home. The next morning when he awoke to her in his arms and realized that had never happened in the history of his sex life, he did the only thing he could and decided to pursue a relationship with her. They spent the entire weekend laid up in his loft, ordering take-out and watching classic movies.

What she didn't understand was that he only wanted to make her cousin jealous. And what he failed to understand was that it wasn't really that simple. No matter how hard he worked to keep any crazy thoughts of caring for her out of his head, his heart was already in too deep. He was oblivious to this, thinking that he was in complete control of himself - head, heart, and body. And yet...

You may be wondering what any of that has do with jumping from roof to roof in the shadows of the night. Everything. The new girlfriend-to-be happened to be a journalist. Not just a make-phone-calls-from-her-desk kind of journalist, but a go-out-at-night-and-sneak-around-dangerous-places type. She tended to get herself in, shall we say, interesting circumstances.

Tonight she was dressed in her simple, black ensemble peering through the broken window of an old abandoned warehouse deep in the heart of Suicide Slums. He was thankful this particular warehouse was empty, and currently being used by Morgan Edge.

If she were to publish a breaking news, front page article about all the crooked business dealings of Edge, that would be fine. In fact, Clark would be thankful. He was tired of trashing their hide-outs and ruining their stashes. Sometimes, on his little missions (sanctioned by his father), one of Edge's bigger guys would try to prove his allegiance and Clark would have to teach him a lesson. More often than not, they'd end up a pile of ashes being swept away by the breeze.

He had learned to only leave bodies behind when he was trying to send a message. He didn't send messages himself, those came from his father. So, anyone else that was determined to fight him to the death was granted their wish and their remains cremated.

Chloe's foot slipped on the rotting crate she was using as a step stool and she started to fall from her post. She was close to ten feet off the ground, and Clark knew that statistically, she was likely to break something if she landed on the pavement from that height. He had the urge to roll his eyes and it made him smile. She rolled her eyes a lot.

Still smiling, he rushed to slip a dirty old mattress he found hiding behind a dumpster in the same alley under her. Back on the roof above, he watched her land with an "oomph." She lifted her head, eyes wide, and searched for an explanation. She was well aware that the mattress had not been there seconds before she landed. He smirked at the shake of her head, sending the ends of her blonde curls rustling back and forth, before she pushed up off the mattress.

The smile that lit up her eyes scared him. Who in their right mind would be excited by a mattress randomly appearing out of nowhere? Even if it did happen to break their fall and in turn keep them from breaking a bone. She should be frightened by the unknown. She couldn't know that whoever or whatever had just saved her did so with good intentions. What if they saved her only to do worse to her? The fact that a being had the ability to do something so fast her human eyes had no chance of registering it should terrify her. Instead, she looked elated.

He was tempted again to roll his eyes, but instead just followed her by way of the roof to the street. She ducked out of the alley and down the street, keeping out of the lights as much as possible. He was impressed by how fluidly she slipped from shadow to shadow.

…

“Lo? You home?” Chloe pulled her toboggan off and shook out her hair. It really was too warm for knitted hats, but her bright blonde hair wasn't exactly great for stealth mode.

She moved into the living room and grabbed her laptop, sitting on the couch and placing it in her lap. She had to make a note that her latest target was empty. Morgan Edge seemed to be clearing out more and more of his real estate and she couldn't help but wonder why.

“I'm in the bathroom. Be out in a minute.” Chloe glanced up at the sound of her cousin's voice.

She made a few notes and scanned over her list of locations, deciding where to check out next. She was certain one of the building on her list housed illegal weapons, and she was determined to get proof. A story like that would certainly separate her from the rest of the basement staff. Write-ups about abuse at the senior citizens’ home was certainly important and commendable. It just didn't land you a front page article. And it certainly didn't set you on a path toward your first Pulitzer.

Uncovering dirt on one of Metropolis's biggest business men, however, was exactly that sort of story. She had a friend down at the police station who was filling her in on a few ongoing investigations involving different known associates of Mr. Edge. So, she had done a little research and dug up some less than dignified real estate owned by Edge's companies. For the past month she had been scoping out a different abandoned property almost every night.

That wasn't what she was anxious to talk to Lois about, though. The last few nights she had been out on the hunt, she had a feeling of being watched. At first it had frightened her. As the night had gone on though, the feeling turned more to one of security. She couldn't actually see anyone following her, or watching her. She just had this feeling that someone was there as back-up should she need them.

She was smart, and very good at her sneaking around to dig up info for a story. So, until tonight, she hadn't found herself in a situation that required help. It wasn't as if she had been chased by goons, or shot at, but she had fallen. Lois would not be happy that she had been careless enough to stand on a half rotten crate, but she had only wanted to glance through the window.

As she had fallen, staring at the ground rising up to meet her and forcing herself to keep quiet, the pavement had disappeared revealing instead a nice soft mattress. Sure, it wasn't exactly the cleanest bedding she'd ever seen, but it broke her fall. The fall itself couldn't have lasted longer than a second. Which meant the being that placed it there had to be paying attention. It also meant they moved at an insane speed. One second she was staring at hard, cold pavement, and the next a dingy, soft mattress. That was not normal.

Lois sat down next to her on the couch and waited. She looked up at her cousin, unable to wipe off the huge grin. Her lips split open into a full smile when her cousin rolled her eyes.

“What happened Chlo? I know that look.”

“Well. I went to scope out a property on my list.” She glanced back at her laptop to save her changes and closed it up. “And I fell.” She stared back at the other woman.

“And? I know you, something weird happened didn't it?” Lois was a skeptic, but she hadn't lived in Smallville like Chloe had.

“Let's just say that I landed on a mattress that literally appeared as I landed.” She knew her eyes were wide with excitement; she couldn't help it. “Lo. I'm being watched over. It's so scary and weird and amazing!”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Hasn't every one of these weirdos you've encountered ended up psycho and trying to kill you or someone else?” Chloe sighed, losing a little of her happiness. Lois was right. So far, of all the meta-humans (for lack of a better title) she had encountered, half had ended up in Belle Reve Sanitarium and the other half had been sent to jail or killed in the process of detainment.

“Well, he saved me from breaking bones. That's got to count for something.” She tried to keep the nerves out of her voice. She didn't want to admit that Lois was right.

“This person is following you. Chloe, that's not good. It's super creepy. They probably know where you live.” She shuddered. “That means they know where I live. And thanks, because now I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”

“I don't think they would have protected me just to harm me later.” In all honesty, she had no proof to back up that statement. “I'll buy an extra dead bolt before class in the morning just in case.” She tried a reassuring smile but had a feeling it came off more nervous.

Lois, already dressed in her pajamas, stood and walked down the hall to her room. Chloe sat on the couch, still holding her closed laptop. Maybe telling Lois tonight wasn't the best idea. Now, neither of them would get any sleep.

…

Lois laid on her bed, her phone pressed between her ear and shoulder. She had been studying for a psychology exam, but when Oliver had called it had been a welcomed distraction. They had been dating since the previous semester and even though they were young, Lois could feel that theirs was a love for the ages.

“So... she never came home last night. I'm just glad she texted so I didn't worry.” Lois kicked her feet back and forth.

“Right, because of this person who's following her? You really think there's people out there with super-human abilities? Seems kinda SyFy channel to me.” Lois grinned at Ollie's skepticism. He was a typical alpha male. He liked sports, was good with business, and didn't believe in anything out of the ordinary.

“She seemed pretty serious about it. And I've read all the articles about the things that have happened in Smallville. There's no denying that weird things happen there, a lot.” She knew he wouldn't budge, but it was fun to spar with him.

“Weird things that can all be explained away.” He was smiling, she could hear it.

“Anyhow. I was actually referring to her current story. The girl's convinced she's gonna bring down Morgan Edge.” Lois scrunched her nose. “If she's right about this one, I'm gonna kick myself in the ass.”

“Language!”

“Yeah, yeah. So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

…

Chloe snuggled into Clark's side a little deeper. She had gone to his place after her nightly surveillance the night before. Thanks to the conversation with Lois about her stalker, going home just didn't seem as comforting. Spending the night wrapped up in Clark's strong arms did.

When she had called him on her way out to the abandoned property to suggest an impromptu slumber party, she had half expected him to cough up a few excuses as to why it wasn't a good idea. Instead, he had offered to make a junk food run. The little ball of nerves in her chest loosened a little and she smiled.

She didn't have any classes on Thursday, and he seemed content skipping, so they'd laid around most of the day. He had ordered them a pizza for lunch and they had watched X-Files reruns all afternoon. She could have stayed there on the couch, cuddled up with him, for eternity. The fact that she needed to take a shower and change clothes was the only thing that made her sit up.

“It's getting late.” She let her head roll over so that she was facing him.

“Late? It's barely evening.” He reached out and ran his fingers down the back of her hair.

“But I haven't had a shower all day, and pretty soon my funk is going to burn a hole through this nice leather sofa.” She quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Then I'll just buy a new one.” The hand that had come to a rest on her back wrapped around her and pulled her back to him. “I can't smell anything. I think a shower can wait.”

She really wanted to argue her point, but when he pressed his lips to her forehead and then her nose before finally kissing her lips, she gave up. He was pretty good at getting what he wanted. She was not very good at telling him 'no'. With his finger tips fluttering lightly over the skin of her arms, she could only sigh against his lips.

He pulled away and she blinked at him. The look on his face startled her. He looked … conflicted.

“Chloe.” He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “I've really enjoyed this past week.”

He paused again and she felt her stomach drop. She had known this wasn't going to last. Heck, she'd expected it to end the same night it started. It was just that, after spending so much time with him over the past few days, she didn't want it to end. Of course, she didn't want it to end. He was gorgeous, and smart, and funny, and knew what he was doing in the bedroom (and outside it).

“I know that we really just started hanging out and all.” She wasn't sure why it was taking him so long to spit it out. All he really had to do was walk her to the door and say 'goodbye.' She'd take the hint.

…

Clark was screaming at himself. Spit it out already. It's words. That's all. You just have to say it. He couldn't understand why his tongue wasn't cooperating with his brain.

He'd never technically asked a girl out before. Not like, out, out. He'd convinced plenty of girls to go home with him. But trying to formulate the words to ask Chloe if maybe they could be exclusive was akin to trying to fly. Impossible wasn't a word that typically belonged in his vocabulary.

“It's just that, ugh.” He looked into her eyes and she looked scared. Great, she probably thinks I've lost it.

Clark tried again, taking a deep breath. “How would you feel about maybe us, seeing how this goes?”

He waited a moment for a response, staring at his hand on her arm. When she didn't say anything he pulled his eyes up to hers again. Her mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide, and she looked lost. “I mean. I understand if you don't want to start anything serious. And like I said, we really don't know each other that well, yet. I just, I really like you.” He hated himself at that moment. Not only did he sound like a blubbering fool, which just wasn't how a Luthor acted, but he meant every word of what he had said. Liking her wasn't really a part of his plan.

Really though, how could he be expected to carry on a relationship with someone he wasn't at least nominally attracted to? He should be allowed to enjoy his game of charades. He was lucky that Lois's cousin just happened to have a smile that lit up the room. Maybe, liking Chloe wasn't so much a bad thing. He was allowed to like her, he just couldn't let a relationship with her cloud his judgment. She was ultimately still just a pawn in his game.

“Are you asking me out? Like, maybe I'm not understanding exactly what you are asking me, but are you asking me if I want to date you?” The disbelief in her voice sounded alien. This girl believed anything was possible, he had picked up on that from her comments during the X-Files marathon.

“I'm not saying that we'd have to use titles or anything, just that if you'd like, maybe we could make this a regular thing?” He seriously needed to work on his skills in this particular department. He was a Luthor, and a confident person. He could walk into any club and walk out with the girl of his choice. Evidently, he just couldn't ask her to be his girlfriend.

“Right. Yeah. Of course, I'd like to see where this leads.” She shrugged her shoulders and he couldn’t help the disappointment at her seeming lack of enthusiasm.

“Great.” He decidedly needed to be in a situation that he knew how to control, so he moved forward and captured her lips.

…

Chloe kissed him back, her mind spinning. She couldn't seem to believe what had just happened. Mr. Debonair had just stuttered his way through asking her out. It was hard to match that guy up with the one licking at her lips. He was such a confident, calculated person. His hands slid up under the front of her shirt and she let the thoughts go. Thinking was overrated in these situations.

In moments, he was laying her back onto the couch and pressing his body against her. His lips moved to her neck and she ran her hands up his sides arousing a gasp. He lifted himself up so that their faces were inches apart and smiled at her, all teeth and bright eyes. It was a smile that she hadn't seen before. As he moved in to kiss her again she realized it was a smile of elation. She could feel him still smiling against her lips and couldn't hold back a giggle.

He began to laugh too, his chest shaking as he rolled them around, sitting her on top. She watched him laugh, his eyes closed tight, and leaned down to kiss along his jaw. This man was something else. She wasn't sure how she had been lucky enough to end up here. She couldn't begin to imagine how long she would get to have this. She just knew that as long as he was willing to have her, she would stay right there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to have this one up so quick! More to come soon.


	4. Chapter 4

The sounds of the city filtered their way into his senses as Clark dusted off his hands and slowed to a stop in the alley next to the LuthorCorp building. His father would be expecting him, with an update. Clark's update would include positive execution of the morning’s plan. He smiled to himself as he walked out of the shadows and onto the sidewalk toward the skyscraper's front door.

Lionel saved enough money to support a third world country by employing his son as his strong-arm. Clark didn't get paid for his dirty work, but that was fine; he already had access to anything he could want. Not to mention his own loft, a few incredible sports cars, and invulnerability. Making or saving money certainly wasn't a high priority for him.

On the elevator ride to his father's office, Clark took a moment to check his phone. Two messages, one from each of his favorite ladies, occupied his screen. He smiled at the phone before slipping it back into his pocket. He'd call them once business was finished.

"Son.” Clark refused to let the threatening snarl manifest on his lips at the older man's endearment. He may be working with Lionel, but that didn't mean he liked the man. He definitely didn't like the familial titles. “I suspect all went well?" Lionel didn't even look up from the papers scattered over his desk.

"Perfect. Edge may be even more upset soon. It will take a few minutes for news of his loss to reach him." Clark sank into a chair after pouring himself a snifter of bourbon. The added benefits of being a legal Luthor were not lost on him. He had no qualms treating himself to those benefits regularly.

"Very well. Anything else you wish to share?" Lionel glanced up at him, his face still angled toward the papers. Clark toyed with the idea of letting Lionel in on his side game, but thought better of it. His 'father' had never been interested in his personal pursuits. Even if his current investment was brilliant, it wouldn't score him any extra points with the man.

"Unless you'd like a recap of my weekends at the clubs, no." He smiled, sure to maintain eye contact and took a sip of his amber beverage.

"Ha. No, thank you. I read enough about your escapades in the tabloids." Lionel made a few notes on his papers, his attention focusing fully back on his work. Clark drained what was left in his glass, before setting it on the edge of Lionel's desk.

\----

Clark held his phone with a shoulder as he walked, his hands in his pockets, relaxed. It rang a full four times before he could hear someone answer on the other end. That was slow for Tess. His lips curled as he waited for a greeting. His lips curled as he waited for a greeting, holding back the 'tsk, tsk' on the tip of his tongue. Waiting was her role, not his.

"I wasn't sure I was going to hear from you." He grinned wider and said nothing, waiting for her to get his silent joke. "Very funny. I have actual purpose in reaching out to you, though. Can we have dinner?" She did a decent job of masking her jealousy, but Clark knew her well enough to sense it.

Clark pulled a hand free to hold the phone. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about that new sushi place?" Even as she tried to conceal it, he could hear the excitement in her voice. The silly girl liked trying new things, new places. He preferred good old fashioned meat, as in steak. "I hear they have some of the best steaks in town too." Clark almost laughed into the receiver. He could clearly picture her rolling her eyes at him. He doubted the authenticity of her last statement, but his morning had put him in a benevolent mood. Not to mention she was already on edge with him, and he didn't wish to make it any worse.

She had been out of town visiting France when Chloe had shown up at the club a few weeks ago. Upon arriving back in Metropolis, Tess had called expecting a warm welcome. Instead, he'd informed her that he was busy. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was immediately jealous, knowing that he was only turning down company because of a woman. She had asked about the next night and he knew telling her he'd have to call her when a good time became available would only feed her envy. Yet, that was what he told her. Tess was wonderful, really. But she didn't like to share his attention. She would not understand, or appreciate, his plans to win Lois.

"Sounds like a date. Should I plan on having a guest for the night?" He walked across the street and stepped into the turnstile door of the Daily Planet.

"That depends on how dinner goes. I'll see you at seven." And then she was gone. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and nodded at a group of interns staring at him as he stepped off the last stair into the basement.

"Can one of you direct me to Chloe Sullivan?" He raised an eyebrow as a pretty girl stepped forward, obviously nervous, and then simply pointed. He nodded his thanks with a charming smile and turned to follow the direction of her still outstretched hand. It wasn't that he didn't know where her desk was, rather that he enjoyed the gossip it generated when he made his presence more obvious; the giggles sure didn't hurt.

Chloe's head was bent over her desk as she typed away at the keyboard. He didn't try to suppress the smile that conquered his lips; he should smile at the sight of his girlfriend. He thought about that. A girlfriend. He'd never actually allowed titles in any of his previous ... dealings. 'Relationship' wasn't an apt description for his many affairs. Nor had any of them lasted long enough to be titled officially. Chloe, however, had consumed his mind, and dare he say it, his heart. He didn't dare, not really.

Little more than a month had passed since she'd come looking for him at the club. They had spent that entire first weekend at his loft, watching old films, ordering take-out and ... doing other things. By Sunday evening when Lois had called to check on Chloe, and inquire about the reason their apartment seemingly had been uninhibited all weekend, Clark could barely force himself to care that Lois had noticed. Not that he had forgotten it was all a charade.

He still wanted Lois. That would never change. He just wasn't in as much of a hurry to have her. Spending time with Chloe was enlightening, and well, easy. They got along amazingly well, and neither of them felt pressure to impress, which for him was a big difference. He convinced himself that a good hashed out relationship with Chloe would be perfect practice for when he did get Lois.

It had little to do with the fact that they were completely themselves when together. Clark was pretty much always who he was, and he felt Chloe was much the same. So, it was refreshing to have someone be accepting of that person you are and not trying to make you into someone else or convince themselves or you that you are someone else. Unless you took Clark's alien status into account. Chloe was the most perceptive human he'd ever met, which was saying a lot when you are raised by Lionel Luthor. She also had a knack for drawing out the strange and unexplained. He considered himself as evidence A.

So, Clark was extra careful to be normal around her. He took his time with mundane tasks. His heat vision tended to act up with Chloe during certain circumstances, so he had to be creative with positions. The last thing he needed was her to see the fire burning in his eyes, literally, while in the throes of – well, yeah, passion. She had opened him up to quite a few new terms to describe what was going on between them. Words that had never applied before in any avenue of his life suddenly were the only ones fitting enough to use.

Clark leaned against the corner of her desk, a hand prudently placed across his lap. Thinking about Chloe, and their activities, tended to affect him quite physically. He let out a laugh at himself and her head shot up, her eyes locking with his. He cut the laugh short, biting his lip, a smile dominating his face. When Chloe was on the job, no one was to interrupt her. Not even her boyfriend. He knew better.

Waiting for her to wrap up, he pondered how long this glaring infatuation with her might last. Eventually, he'd have to let her go for the truer object of his desire. He frowned at the thought of letting her go. But, something told him his Goldilocks and her brunette bombshell of a cousin would not agree to share him. His smile came back at the visions those thoughts provoked. Having both of them in his bed together would prove Earth-shattering, he was sure of it. He was just as certain that particular set of circumstances would never come to pass. His heart ached a little.

"I was expecting a call." He lifted his head to find her staring up at him, her chin resting on her folded fingers.

"I was at Dad's office when I got your message, decided to just walk over." He pushed off the desk and moved to stand in front of her, offering her his hand. "Thought maybe you could use a decent lunch. You don't eat right when you're working."

...

She giggled despite the look of dissension on her face and took his proffered hand, letting him pull her to her feet and against his chest. He smelled amazing, and she couldn't help but inhale a deep breath. His arms wrapped around her middle tightly and he squeezed, his lips brushing over the top of her head.

The last month or so of her life had been straight out of a romance novel. She blushed just thinking about it. Life would get no complaints from her corner. She could feel and hear him draw in a long, deep breath as he held her. It was these things that made her heart melt, and her legs turn to Jell-o. The things no one would ever believe could be true about Clark Luthor, but certainly were, made her giddy.

He took her to a cafe close by for lunch, and listened intently to her drone on about her newest story. When she mentioned a particular disappearance, one that involved a Morgan Edge 'henchman' (as she called them), Clark's brow had creased momentarily. She wondered if he knew the guy, from the look in his eyes; one similar to, but not quite, recognition. She shrugged it off and continued to tell him about a mysterious burn mark found close by the guy's apartment.

She sipped her latte and pondered what could cause the police stop their investigations. Was it simply the assumption that the two occurrences were not connected?

"Sounds like your source is a bit confused." Clark wiped his mouth with his napkin before laying it in his empty plate.

"He sent me a copy of the original reports. I made all the connective assumptions myself." She shook her head, letting the mystery go for now, more focused on Clark's upsetting dismissal. "It's no matter. I plan to go out there tonight and take a look. See if I can't find something the cops missed."

"By yourself? Didn't you say this happened in Suicide Slums?" Clark's skeptical look made Chloe's lips twitch. She was torn between indignation and appreciation. His statement said that he felt she was incapable of taking care of herself. He should know better. And yet, it also showed that he cared and worried about her. But his lack of faith in her won out. For the first time he was genuinely upsetting her.

"Well, you said you have dinner plans. And Lois has some gala or other with Ollie." That expression, the one that distorted his handsome features, was odd. Chloe wasn't one to shy away from a good mystery. "What's your beef with Oliver, anyhow? I wasn't sure about him at first, but he seems to treat Lois well."

"He and Lex had a bit of a falling out. Actually, you have to be friends at some point to have a falling out. Oliver and his buddies caused hell for Lex." Chloe frowned. Clark and Lex took advantage of every opportunity to torture each other; they were not exactly friendly. And she knew this from only a few weeks with Clark. Then again, she'd watched Lois and Lucy battle for a lifetime, and they still stood up for each other against outsiders. She decided it was a sibling thing, and mentally shrugged.

"Well, anyhow, I have my mace and taser. I'll be fine!"


	5. Chapter 5

Clark grinned when expected, and nodded on cue. He normally quite enjoyed these little dinners, and tried hard to swallow the knot that had been stuck in his throat all evening. He had convinced himself he was past little human imperfections, such as caring. The thought that he'd been wrong simply pissed him off, which oddly didn't make the anxiety lessen any.

"So, if we were to find these stones... We could- Clark?"

He lifted his gaze to meet her jade eyes and frowned. "Sorry, Sis," Good job, Luthor, he chastised himself. "Continue, please."

He didn't miss the skepticism in her eyes, but she took a small breath and continued. "If we find these remaining stones, they could be our chance to be free." He watched her take a sip of her wine, and noted her steady hand. He wasn't deceived - she was nervous.

He leaned back in his seat and ran a slow hand down his tie, smoothing his shirt over his abs. After taking a deep breath, and making sure he had her full attention, he smiled. "I'm sorry. I just can't understand how these special stones are going to magically fix our lives. Do you even know what it is they do?"

"I know that when they are all brought together the power they will provide will be unimaginable, even for you. If the two of us were to find them before Father, then we could take off and not ever have to worry about him again. It's a chance for us to live a completely different life." Together, was the unspoken addition to that statement. They both knew it. Clark sighed and pushed his plate away toward the middle of the table. A year ago, he wouldn't have thought twice before agreeing with her. He had wanted as far away from the name Luthor as he could get. Now? He wasn't so sure.

"Honestly, that sounds kind of crazy. Where would we even start looking? What if we spend all this time looking for the rocks and then, nothing? Knowing Lionel this is some ruse to trick us in to showing him all our cards." He shook his head, a barely noticeable movement, letting his eyes say the same as his words. "That's just not something I'm interested in doing." He was sure Lionel had his suspicions about the true nature of Clark and Tess's relationship, but their old man needed no proof. Watching her expression closely, he feared she was about to lose her carefully put together composure and he smiled warmly at her. "I love you sis, you know that. And I promise to take care of you, no matter what. I will find us a way."

She lowered her head momentarily, he suspected to strengthen her resolve, and then smiled back at him. "Of course you will."

...

Chloe rounded the corner carefully. She was close to the crime scene now. Granted, it had been weeks since the murder; there wasn't a lot of hope for her to find anything new. She held on to that sliver of a chance though, and moved as quietly as humanly possible through the shadows.

"Well, hello there pretty thing." A gruff voice spoke to her back. Chloe swallowed, gripping her mace tightly, her knuckles white.

"You look lost." This was a second voice. If surviving an attack by one crazy guy in the Slums had been improbable, surviving a duel attack was impossible. She let her shoulders drop and turned slowly toward the voices. There was no point in running.

In the light of the street, from her place in the alley, she could see two figures leaning down toward the pavement. She squinted, straining her eyes to focus on the object between them. Her vision cleared, revealing a small alley cat. She bit her cheek to keep the fearful groan blooming in her throat from being released. As horrible a situation as it was for the cat, it would be much worse for Chloe if the two men were to notice her.

She started to slowly back away, glancing behind her here and there so as not to fall into anything. There was just enough light for her to see the clear outline of a dumpster, and make sure she side-stepped before smacking her shoulder into it. Looking back out of the alley, she sucked in a much needed deep breath. Breathing had been forgotten when she'd heard that first voice.

The two figures were headed straight toward her. From what she could tell, they still hadn't noticed her, but that was sure to change momentarily. Her heart was pounding against her ribs frantically. She bit down on her bottom lip. No one would hear her screams out here. 

To run, or not to run?

What frustrated her most was that she hadn't even made it to the crime scene yet. She thought maybe that was a blessing. How much more frustrated would she be in this moment if she had actually find some evidence there and then faced impending doom, unable to share her find with the world?

What Chloe had left out of her earlier conversation with Clark (and previous conversations with Lois) was that she actually had a working theory. It seemed quite a few 'muscle men' for the biggest crime bosses in Metropolis had gone suddenly missing. That in itself wasn't such a revelation. The fact that they had all started to disappear four months ago combined with the reports from their friends or family that none of them had any plans to leave meant Chloe had a conspiracy theory. Vigilante.

This theorized vigilante was the reason why Edge was moving all his goods. Chloe knew that had to be the case. She couldn't prove any of it, yet. And she wasn't sure how much she would report about the vigilante, even if she did somehow find proof of him. She wasn't sure the public was ready to know about him just yet.

Obviously, this vigilante had some issues to work through. Death wasn't exactly the best way to handle crime (she couldn't figure any other way to make these guys disappear so easily). No one should count themselves capable of being judge, jury, and executioner. But she had done some digging, and she couldn't find any evidence that this same set of circumstances had befallen any innocent people. 

The pieces started falling into place after her source at the precinct had told her about a thug who had just up and disappeared. At first, Chloe wasn't sure why it mattered. But then he had informed her that this particular thug was actually feeding information to the cops; he was a snitch. He didn't show up for a meet and the cops couldn't find any sign of him, or any signs he'd attempted to run. They had all assumed Edge had figured out he was talking and found a way to shut him up. What no one was talking about was the weird burn marks in the alley just outside the guy's apartment.

According to the report that had suddenly gone missing hours after Chloe had received a copy via e-mail, the burn marks were anything but normal. The fire that caused them had to have burned unreasonably hot. There were no accelerants found at the site. To anyone else it appeared to be some kind of freak accident, or a college kid's chemistry experiment gone very wrong. To Chloe it reeked of meteor infected freak. A super powered Dexter, if you will.

There was only one place she had encountered those types of people. For a short time, Chloe's father had moved them to a small town, aptly named Smallville. In high school there, she encountered case after case of irregularities. These kids had all sorts of weird 'abilities' or mutations, and most of them lost it (as in went 'batty') at some point, murdering or attempting to murder someone. Once her father had found out the truth of what was happening in the town he moved them back to the city. It was her theory that this vigilante was also from Smallville.

A meteor shower had fallen in 1989, and brought with it some odd green meteors that Chloe believed were the cause of the mutations. Most of her investigations proved that the freaks involved all came into contact with these meteors at some point.

"Well, what do we have here?" Chloe swallowed, and stopped still her thoughts halting. She didn't need to look forward, back down the alley, to know that her fears had finally come to pass. She still had ten good feet to go before she was out of the alley. She bit her tongue, no reason to say something smart and piss them off. Instead, she tried to focus on reaching into her pocket and wrapping her hand around her taser.

The barely audible sound of Bob Dylan singing ‘All Along the Watchtower’ made Chloe's nostrils flare; it's the only movement her body would allow. Of course, Clark was calling to check on her, he didn't want her out there alone in the first place. It was ridiculous really, that Chloe was angry with him at this moment; first she's mad he was right, and second, his worry had just broken the silence and her assailants were advancing quicker. She let out a slow even breath, preparing to shock whichever man reached her first, while wondering what her second defensive action should be. Her phone stopped singing and immediately started up again. She rolled her eyes.

Clark more than likely would not stop calling until her phone's battery gave out. The thought made her frown. By then, she'd be past saving. That's the moment she realized this was not going to end in her favor. The odds of her exiting this alley some way other than in a body bag were slim to none.

She squeezed the taser tightly in her fingers and narrowed her eyes. She was not going down without a fight - a very long, and hopefully painful for her soon to be attackers, fight.

Brightness lit up the alley. Chloe planted her feet, only slightly disoriented by the sudden flood of light. The two men turned around, fleeing back down the alley. Before Chloe had a chance to sigh in relief, two large men ran past her. She sucked in a sharp breath as she watched the new guys tackle the original men. She knew she should be grateful, but she couldn't help feeling like the new arrival could be something even worse.

"Are you okay?" Her heart pounded loudly, she could barely make out the words coming from behind her. When her mind caught up with her ears, she recognized the voice.

"I – I think so. Yeah, I'm fine." Her phone stopped ringing. She glanced curiously down toward her pocket, but raised her eyes as a figure stepped up in front of her. He was not much more than an outline against the bright beams of the headlights behind him.

"Come on. What were you doing out here anyhow?" He continued talking, but Chloe wasn't listening. She wondered absently how Clark suddenly knew she was okay. It was the only reason he would hang up mid-ring. Of that she was certain. "We'll take you home." He held the car door open for her, guiding her inside. "I'll call Clark, I'm sure he'll want to meet us there." She wanted to smile at that. Lex knew about her and Clark. He also seemed to think his brother cared enough about her to call him so he could comfort her. But she couldn't seem to move. Lex scooted into the backseat next her; he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her arm.

...

Clark swore under his breath. This was bad. This was worse than bad. Lex knowing about Chloe was not a surprise; he hadn't exactly been trying to hide her from the family. However, Lex knowing that Chloe was investigating the recent murders of Morgan Edge's men, that was detrimental to the girl's health.

He forced himself inside his car, making himself drive, only to keep from speeding to her apartment. Although from what he gathered, she was somewhat in shock and probably wouldn't notice his too quick appearance. His radio blared to life when he started the engine. His frustration forced a fist into the car's console, silencing Three Days Grace.

Clark let out a growl, throwing the car into reverse, and sped out of the parking garage. He knew he wouldn't get pulled over, not with his 'C-LUTHOR' plates. Any cop stupid enough to try would just have to follow him to his girlfriend's apartment. He was not stopping.

The fact that he wasn't really torn between holding her and strangling the two peons from the alley should have confused him. His normal reaction to anger was brute force. Right now, he just wanted Chloe safe in his arms. He could go express his anger later. Maybe that meant he was maturing. Something told him Lionel wouldn't agree.

At her apartment, Lex was sitting on the couch, Chloe leaning into his embrace. Clark swept past Lex's driver, who had opened the door, and didn't hesitate before picking her up, effectively getting her away from Lex. With her safely cradled in his arms he noticed, but did not acknowledge, the frown on his older brother's face.

"Hey. I'm here." He held her tight, his cheek pressed into the top of her head. "I'm so sorry. I should never have let you go out there."

Lex cleared his throat.

"I should have canceled my dinner. We could have gone together."

"You knew she was out there? Investigating a murder?" Clark wanted to fry Lex, but settled for shooting him a glare instead of deadly laser beams. Now was not the time for Lex's inquiries, and Clark knew his brother understood what he was telling him. "I'm going home. Let me know if you need anything."

And with that, Lex exited the apartment.

Clark sat on the couch, still cradling Chloe in his arms. She had pressed her face into his neck and he could feel the dampness from her tears. They sat that way until she turned her head to look up at him, almost a full hour later.

He smiled down at her, knowing it was forced and she'd see that, but he still had to try. She always seemed so strong. So much so, that it frequently frustrated him when she seemed to handle things so well. He'd watched over her many nights while she investigated. He didn't understand why the events of tonight had shaken her as bad as they did. It seemed out of character.

"Baby? You want to talk about it?" His brow creased with worry. He watched her bite her lip before nodding.

"I just - I thought..." He watched her take a deep breath, preparing her thoughts. "I didn't tell you before, I'm sorry." Clark added confusion to the long list of emotions he was feeling. He was the one who should be apologizing; for not being there, for not protecting her. He was already planning to make up for it, in a big way. "I should have told you."

"You have nothing to apologize for." He squeezed her tighter to reiterate his point.

When she began shaking her head and fresh tears appeared, he shushed her gently. When she spoke again her voice was so low he was certain a human could not have heard her. "I thought he would protect me."

Clark felt lost. Maybe she was still too shaken up, because she certainly wasn't making any sense. "Who, Baby? Who was going to protect you?" Was there someone else she trusted to back her up tonight? He tried to suppress the jealousy emanating in his gut.

"My vigilante."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the horrible gaps between chapter are probably going to get old. It's hard being an adult sometimes...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't looked at this story in a long time. Instead of spending a week trying to review/compare each copy of this chapter I'm going to take my own word for it and post this version that was in the folder marked "Edited." My deepest apologies for any mistakes, glaring or otherwise.

Clark ran a nervous hand through his hair. He had been pacing in her living room from the moment Chloe had fallen asleep (he had carried her in to her bed) twenty minutes ago. He couldn't believe himself.   
  
Despite what he thought had been a brilliant job of protecting his secret from his girlfriend, she still knew about him  – sort of. She didn't know it was him, thank the universe, but she had put together that it was the same person killing off all the second-rate scum. He clenched his fists at his sides as he did another about-face. She also knew whoever this person was, they had special abilities. At least, she thought he was a product of the Kryptonite, not the cause of it.   
  
Chloe thought he, this meteor-infected person, was trying to clean up the streets. He could see it from her perspective, save one detail. None of the 'missing' guys linked back to Lionel. Of course, that's because Lionel only needed him, there were no second-rate criminals to leave behind messes. But if Chloe ever thought about it from that angle, he would be in big trouble. From that realization, it wouldn't take her long to figure out her "vigilante" was working for Lionel.   
  
He grinned. Not a happy grin, more of a grimace or a sad smile of understanding. Chloe discovering the truth wouldn't cause him any problems, except maybe heartache. He knew, if it came down to it, he would protect his secret. It wasn't just himself who would be affected by his 'coming-out'. His whole family would be turned upside down. Granted, he only loved one of them, but she was enough for him to know he would not hesitate.   
  
The sound of metal on metal jerked his head around to the door. Without a thought he engaged his x-ray vision to see through the offending object. Lois. With all the excitement from earlier he'd forgotten the woman of his deepest desires lived here too. He relaxed his shoulders and took a deep breath. Now was not the time for him to make any moves toward her. He needed to wait.   
  
"Luthor?" At her question, he took a step forward and nodded, holding a finger to his lips.   
  
"Chloe is asleep. She had a rough night." He motioned to the couch and followed Lois over, sitting as far away from her as possible. "She went out looking for some leads on a murder case. In suicide slums. Alone." Lois opened her mouth to speak, but Clark shook his head and continued. "She's fine, but was really shaken up for most of the night. I just got her to sleep less than half an hour ago."   
  
"What the hell was she thinking going out there alone?" Lois slid out of her jacket, laying it over the back of the couch. Clark realized, from the lack of eye contact, she was talking more to herself than to him, but he still answered.   
  
"She was thinking-," he paused before deciding it couldn't hurt, "that she had a kind of 'savior' watching her back. Some vigilante?" He saw recognition in Lois's eyes and held back a groan. Great, so Chloe had already shared this theory with her cousin.   
  
"I thought we had determined he was just as much of a threat as the guys he's been disposing of. Or more so." The last part had come out in a bit of a low mumble, but Clark heard it loud and clear. Lois was right.   
  
He let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping forward. "According to her, he's saved her a few times already." Thing was, she was right.  And he would have been there for her again, except he was out at dinner with his sister and had attempted to give her some privacy. After the way she had gone on the defense during their lunch, he'd thought maybe he should give her some space. That idea had been worse than bad. He should have known better.  
  
Lois shook her head and stood from the couch to kick off her heels. "Well, get back in there. If my baby cousin wakes up, I want her to know she's safe!" She shooed him toward the hall and followed him, passing by Chloe's room to head toward her own as he slipped through her cousin's door.   
  
Chloe was stretched out across the bed, taking up a good two-thirds of the queen mattress. He smiled. Watching her sleep tugged as his heart, as much as he hated admitting it. There was no point in denying he didn't want to ever physically harm her. In the short time they'd been together he'd already accepted that he wasn't too fond of hurting her emotionally either. At least, that pain would eventually be unavoidable. He still longed for Lois. Maybe not as deeply as he had, but he knew that longing would eventually come back full force. At that point he would have to let go of Chloe, if not before.   
  
Clark  discarded his clothing save his boxers and slid under the sheets, pulling her against him. She wrapped an arm around his chest, gripping his ribs and sighed, still sleeping soundly. He brushed a curl out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear before placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head.He could continue to enjoy her company, so long as she never knew the truth. He just had to steer her theory in a different direction. Now he had a new goal.   
  
...   
  
Chloe awoke to the smell of coffee, and something else. Bacon. Definitely bacon. For a split second she worried Lois was attempting to cook; nothing smelled burned. She rolled over and climbed out of bed, pulling on her robe and slipping into her house shoes.   
  
In the kitchen she could hear soft laughter. Lois was laughing, and she could hear a male voice too quiet to identify. Oliver never came to their place, but she was certain it wasn't him anyhow.   
  
The previous night's events came rushing back as she opened her bedroom door. Clark. He had held her while she slept. He had come to her and comforted her and then stayed with her all night. Protecting her. She grinned, a huge genuine flash of teeth as she stepped through her doorway and headed toward the muffled giggles.   
  
"And then he... Chloe!" Clark smiled at her and Chloe couldn't hold back visions of the sun shining brightly, just for her. "Good morning, you hungry? How are you feeling? Did you get enough sleep? I hope we didn't wake you." He moved away from the stove toward her to pulled her into a hug. Chloe was still trying to sort through his barrage of questions when he tipped her chin up to slide his lips softly over hers.   
  
"Don't burn the bacon, Luthor! You two can grope each other after I leave for class." Lois snorted out another laugh and sipped her coffee.   
  
Clark just squeezed Chloe tighter before gently pulling her away by the shoulders and staring into her eyes. His eyes wore all his questions and she remembered his verbal marathon she hadn't yet responded to. 

 

I'm great!" He smiled brighter before moving back to the stove.  
  
Chloe climbed up onto a stool next to Lois at the breakfast bar and watched her boyfriend cook them breakfast. She had assumed he didn't cook, considering he had a full staff growing up, and had always ordered in for her thus far in their relationship. She decided to voice as much.  
  
"Special occasions only. I get hungry at odd hours a lot, decided a while back it wasn't worth waking someone to wait for them to get ready before preparing me some food." He grinned and flipped the bacon. Chloe felt her heart melt like the grease sizzling in the pan.  
  
Chloe noticed there were also scrambled eggs and toast already prepared and plated. She glanced at her cousin and rolled her eyes. Lois was openly admiring Clark's backside. He had slipped his slacks from the night before back on, and his t-shirt, but had not bothered with the dress shirt. Chloe elbowed Lois and waited for her to make eye contact. Once she had Lois's full attention she made a show of rolling her eyes at her older cousin and shaking her head in amusement. Lois just winked and shrugged. Something about Lois watching Clark made Chloe feel giddy.  
  
Chloe knew Lois was falling deep for her Ollie, but the other woman wasn't ready to admit as much. Chloe figured she was holding back in the expectation that Oliver would get bored of her; Chloe knew better. Oliver had eyes for Lois only. Heart ache was funny that way though, it kept you from allowing yourself to get too comfortable. And Chloe knew that Lois had suffered her share of pain before finding Oliver.  
  
A plate landed on the counter in front of her and Chloe suppressed giggles. She hadn't had a home cooked meal since, well, a really long time. In fact, the last time had been freshman year at the home of a kindly farmer and his wife. They had invited her and her father over for dinner. Chloe remembered the sweet woman smiling at her through the whole dinner. At first, Chloe had been a bit creeped out, but when she found out that they could never have children of their own she had felt empathetic. From then on she'd made it a point to smile and wave anytime she saw the older woman around town. They had developed a bit of a friendship. Chloe decided to call her soon and check up on her.  
  
"You just gonna stare at it?" Lois talked around her mouthful, pointing to Chloe's food with her own fork.  
  
"Just admiring the spread,” She looked up at Clark across the bar. He had a plate too and was standing across from her eating his own food. She caught his eye and smiled.  
  
...  
  
After breakfast, Clark excused himself, telling Chloe he needed to go home and freshen up, but that he would be back soon. He convinced her to call in to work for the day and to skip all of her classes. It hadn't really taken too much convincing and he laughed at the memory of her just nodding in agreement. She'd probably walk out of her life if he asked her to, just to travel the world with him. It really was too bad he could never leave.  
  
His father had left him some business related voice-mails, so he took care of a few errands before heading home to shower and change. His plan was to head straight back to Chloe and spend the day helping her forget all about her near-death experience. That thought had him turning his shower water to a cooler temperature.  
  
He received a text from Lex as he was dressing, and frowned. His brother only asked how Chloe was doing, but it still made him nervous. Lex didn't care about anyone other than himself. Clark replied that she was shaken up but okay and that he planned to spend the day with her. He thought about erasing the last part, but decided he didn't care if Lex knew he was spending time with his girlfriend. Maybe it would discourage him from dropping by to check on her himself.  
  
When he got back to Chloe's apartment she answered the door, also freshly showered and dressed. Instead of entering the apartment, he offered her his hand and pulled her out the door. As nice as it would be to indulge in helping her forget the world outside her bedroom existed, there were issues that needed handling.  
  
"Let's go for a walk. It's a beautiful day." He slipped an arm around her waist and she smiled and agreed.  
  
He needed to get her talking about her theory again. He had to know what she knew already and what was simply speculation. His work was certainly cut out for him. Chloe would need proof for every lie he told her. He hoped an unlimited supply of money, his many abilities, and the power of being a Luthor would be all he needed to manipulate some evidence.  
  
After they were out on the street and half a block away from her apartment he started a conversation. "I want to help you."  


…

  
Chloe turned her gaze up to meet his eyes. "Help me what?" She had meant for the question to come out skeptically sarcastic, and maybe even a little playful, but she knew it sounded more guarded.   
  
"Find this 'vigilante.'" He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed reassuringly. "I have to admit, I'd really rather you not look into this at all anymore. But I know I could never convince you to just stop. So instead, I'm offering my services." He grinned down at her and she couldn't hold back a smile of her own. This was the last thing she had expected.   
  
"Well, I guess I can show you all my notes. But I don't know how much help you'll be. You aren't exactly an investigative journalist, and you tend to only see what you want." Her voice rose an octave on the last part of her statement and he narrowed his eyes at her playfully. She was still a bit on edge from her scary night, but Clark staying close was helping her to ease up.   
  
"Are you done offending my dignity yet?" She knew that her comment had been baseless, as did he. They were falling into their easy banter mode.   
  
"Almost." She had planned on adding to that, but he pulled on her hand causing her to spin around and his lips pressed against her forehead. She grabbed his shoulder with her free hand and tilted her chin up to meet his lips with her own. They had been plenty physical since the beginning of their relationship, but the random stolen kisses were certainly new.   
  
"You ready to head back?" His words were whispered against her mouth, and even in the whisper she could tell his voice had dropped a few octaves.   
  
"We've barely gone one block!" She pulled back as far as he allowed and gave him her best puppy dog pout.   
  
His eyes glinted and he smiled lasciviously down at her before turning and pulling her back down the street toward her apartment. She giggled and followed after him fighting to keep up. She was minutely aware of the stares they had drawn from a few people walking their pets or taking a leisurely stroll. He was the youngest son of the most powerful businessman in the state, and he was laughing with his head thrown back, dragging her down the sidewalk. She giggled at the image, knowing it had to be quite an amusing sight. The Luthors were well known for their serious, professional nature. His current behavior was anything but, and she loved that he was letting himself be carefree with her.   
  
Inside the apartment door he pulled her to him, locking the door before pushing her back up against it. His mouth was moving from her neck up her jaw to her lips, and then back down the other side of her neck to the small area of her chest that was exposed. Her breath caught in her throat when he pressed himself against her, making it clear just how extremely turned on he was. He pulled back from her, his green eyes glowing with lust, and Chloe thought she saw the lick of flames in them. He grabbed her waist, lifting her off the floor, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips. What she had or hadn't seen in his eyes disappeared from her thoughts.   
  
A tickling vibration against her calf made Chloe giggle before her brain caught up and she realized it was Clark's phone. He growled against her ribcage, where he had been nibbling, before he let her slip back to the floor, and pulled his phone out of his pocket.   
  
“Luthor." His face shifted into a frustrated anger that Chloe had never seen before, and she swallowed. He was such an expressive person. Whatever was happening on the other end of that conversation was not good. "Thank you."   
  
He slid his phone back into his pocket and leaned his hands against the door on either side of her face, his chest still rising and falling. "I'm sorry." He pressed his lips against hers in a soft lingering kiss that ignited a warming burn low in her belly. "I'll call you as soon as I can."   
  
And then he was out the door, Chloe standing in the threshold staring after his retreating figure. She focused on memorizing his back, his full head of hair, and his long legs and broad shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize profusely for leaving this story sit for so long! The entire thing has been written through, it's just mostly in first draft status. I'll be trying to update it more regularly until it's finished. At this time I have no plans of writing any more of this series past this story. That's not to say that I won't change my mind. ;-)


End file.
